Back In My Day
by xx.shinigami.love.apples.xx
Summary: The fighting has long since ended. Well, unless you count the battles raging behind the walls of Midgars best retirement home. Cloud and his comrades drag the employees of the Retirement Home on a hell of a ride. Better than summary. T for Cid's mouth
1. He's Back!

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter One – He's Back!**

It was a sunny day in Midgar. The sun shone, warm and calming, over the city and its residents enjoyed everything that the beautiful summer day had to offer. All was peaceful. Well, all except for the Midgar Nursing Home. In room 209, one of the elderly residents was having another fit. This was nothing new, of course, and the attendants and nurses prepared to deal with it as they did each day. The resident often proved… difficult to care for. This resident just so happened to be Cloud Strife.

"He's back! I can feel it in my bones! Sephiroth has returned again!" He yelled, frantically waving his cane. His personal nurse entered the room cautiously.

"Mr. Strife please calm down! He's not back. You're fine." She coaxed, as she did each time he acted this way. She extended a hand, only to have it batted away.

"Don't touch me! You don't know! I fought him! He always returns!" Cloud shouted. The nurse could hear the mumbling and complaining starting from the other rooms as the noise escalated.

"Cloud! Shhh. You have to calm down. You're upsetting the other people here." She chided. Cloud, however, had no such thing in mind.

"Tell them to hide! Sephiroth is back!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Panicked yells echoes from the hallway, the elderly men and women scrambling to protect themselves. They actually believed the yelling man, yet again, as the staff struggled to maintain order and quell the rising uproar of panic.

"Where's my sword? Where? He must be nearly upon us! Ya bastard, come out from where you're hiding! I killed you once, I'll kill you again!" Cloud ranted, swinging his cane as he yelled, and knocking out one of the men in the process.

"Somebody! Sedate him!" the Nurse called loudly. Two of the men struggled closer to Cloud, the larger sticking a needle into his neck with practiced accuracy.

"Hurry! Everybody… Take cover…" he said, his words slurring, before falling backwards into the waiting arms of the second man. His cane clattered to the floor as he snored lightly, a content smile on his face. The two men hoisted him into bed and covered him with the sky blue sheets.

"Fuckin' crazy ass Cloud." Came the relaxed southern drawl from the porch outside the window, accompanied by the creaking of a rocking chair and a thin stream of cigarette smoke floating lazily skyward. The nurse sighed heavily.

Just another day at Midgar Nursing Home.

**Thanks for reading (^^;) Reviews are loved and appreciated :D More chapters to come if it's liked**.


	2. I Hate Cold Oatmeal

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Two – I Hate Cold Oatmeal…**

The bell rang, signaling breakfast, and Reno stood up eagerly from his jigsaw puzzle. His partner, however, remained stoic, a puzzle piece held in hand, staring intently at the unfinished puzzle.

"Rude! Get your lazy butt up, didn't you hear? It's pancake day!" Reno yelled, flailing his arms. Rude paid him no attention. However, when Reno began to shuffle of towards the kitchen, leaving him alone, he began to follow. Reno smirked as he heard the footsteps.

"I knew you couldn't resist, yo~" he called in a singsong voice over his shoulder. Rude just sighed. The two sat across from each other in the overly crowded lunch room. Reno's long thin red hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and Rude's beard rivaled its length. His dark shades were now thick clear reading glasses. Breakfast was placed in front of them and Rude glared at it in disgust. One thin, rubbery pancake and a bowl of oatmeal.

Reno began to eat his, but Rude just stared. Tseng walked in slowly through the doors, Rufus in his wheelchair beside him. They made their way over to the two Turks and Tseng put Rufus' wheelchair at the end of the table while they sat around them. Rufus sighed unhappily when he was given his cold oatmeal, but ate it with resignation. Tseng held one of his hands kindly.

"Rude, you look unhappy. What's wrong?" Tseng asked as he rubbed circles into Rufus' palm lovingly with his thumb.

"I'm sick of it. One nasty pancake and some cold oatmeal ain't a breakfast." he grumbled. Rufus nodded, his white pajamas rustling as he laid his spoon down. Reno grinned mischievously.

"Y'know partner, we could always fix that little problem." He said in a sly voice. Tseng's eyes widened, as the former presidents face took up its old smirk. Tseng knew that look all too well. Rufus was either about to win a long fought battle, fire someone, or cause trouble. And since he no longer had anybody to fire and bingo wasn't until that night…

"Sir, I really don't think you should encourage them! You remember the last time you allowed them to do what they wished!" but as usual, Tseng's advice went ignored.

"Reno, Rude… Do what you're best at." Rufus said evilly, as the two former Turks grinned. Tseng simply put his hand to his face.

"You got it, Boss Man." Reno cooed as Rude stood from his chair, holding the pancake. Reno stood beside him, and suddenly it felt just like old times.

"Everyone," Reno yelled. "Listen up! You are being deprived! This is no breakfast!" Rude held up the unbending pancake as if to prove a point. "Pancakes should be soft and fluffy! There should by syrup and butter! And OATMEAL should be HOT!" he yelled, throwing his cold bowl to the floor in front of him. Rude followed suit, and the pancake joined the oatmeal on the white tiles.

The elderly men and women nodded, and muttered amongst themselves. Whispers of 'Their right…' and 'Yeah, I hate this…' floated around the room.

"This is not how people should live! Get up and fight for what you want, for what you DESERVE!" Rufus yelled from his wheel chair, his voice strong like it used to be. Tseng never ceased to be in awe at how easily Rufus could whip a crowd into action. The tenants began yelling, holding their bowls in the air and demanding better food. Cloud was quick to join the riot.

"Yeah! I'm done eating cold oatmeal! Microwave, Microwave, Microwave!" he yelled, his cane making wide arcs in the air. The head nurse ran into the room, looking frantic. Rufus watched as the other nurses and employees explained to her what had begun. She quickly started trying to fix the problem.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down!" she said in a soothing voice, trying to convince them that there was nothing wrong. "Everything is fine." She finished, looking proud of herself. She had successfully calmed down the patients, and convinced them that cold oatmeal and hard pancakes was completely fine, that they should be happy and take what they were given. They muttered in agreement, some starting to eat again. Rufus looked horrified, and annoyed. Everything seemed as if it would be okay, and it was the start of a calm morning. Right until a bowl of oatmeal flew across the room and crashed in front of the Nurse's feet.

"Ya ain't fooling me, god dammit! I ain't going to take this shit for one more second!" Cid yelled from the back of the room. The nurse was furious, as gummy oatmeal coated her shiny red stiletto heels. Cid picked up the bowls around him and they flew through the air towards the employees. The wiser nurses dove for cover behind the breakfast counter, while the remaining got covered with freezing, thick oatmeal. Reno beamed.

"Yeah! Follow his lead, yo~" He yelled to the onlookers. The tenants shouted in wheezy agreement and tossed their breakfasts towards the front. Security guards rushed in through the white double doors, and their faces dropped seeing the riot that had broken out. Every old man and woman was throwing their unsatisfactory breakfasts towards the employees, and a chant of 'BETTER FOOD' was coursing through the room. Cloud beat his cane on the table setting the beat, and a loud southern accent led the chant. 'Better Food God Dammit!'

Rufus ShinRa relaxed in his chair, one hand curled under his chin, and watched the chaos unfold. Reno, Rude, and Tseng stood behind his wheel chair. Reno leaned against a table, a catlike grin on his face, and looked at Rude.

"All in a day's work, eh partner?"

"Oh yeah. Looks like we're clocking out early."

**Thanks for reading (^^;) Reviews are loved and appreciated pleaseee :D Lol the turks and rufus got their chapter in the spotlight xD**


	3. King Me, Dammit!

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Three – King Me, Dammit!**

Sun shone through the tall windows into the recreation room, illuminating the activities of the tenants. Most relaxed in arm chairs, chatting idly about the uneventful day ahead and the uneventful day which tomorrow would, without a doubt, turn out to be. After the near catastrophic events of the morning, the employees breathed a deep sigh of relief at the calm aura of the room. Cloud, their largest concern, was dozing in a rocking chair by the window, and Barret seemed far too interested in the discovery channel program about gun types to cause havoc. The employees visibly relaxed, peace evident on their features.

"Goddammit Vince! I got ta' your side of the board! King me!" shouted the all too familiar voice. The happiness the employees had tasted for just a moment slid from their faces. They looked over with tired eyes towards a small table in the corner where Cid sat opposite of Vincent Valentine, a shabby chess board between them.

"Cid, How many times do I have to tell you? This is chess, not checkers." Vincent muttered, hiding the enjoyment he got from working the old pilot up. Vincent guided his rook over to Cid's invading knight, capturing it and placing it aside the board with the array of other white pieces. Cid cursed angrily.

"Fuck!" he yelled, glaring at the few pieces he had left in play. Vincent laced his fingers, placing his chin on them and watching Cid with a smug look on his face. He moved his last bishop forward in a straight line, heading towards Vincent's queen. Cid bishop took its place as it knocked the black queen across the board and onto the table.

"Ha! Got your goddamn queen now!" he yelled, raising his fist in triumph. Vincent just shook his head, the smug look never leaving his pale features.

"Chief, the bishop only moves diagonally," he said placing it back where it had come from and replacing the queen Cid had smacked away. "Try again." He smirked. Cid swore loudly, pulling a cigarette from the pack tucked into his goggles and lighting it up.

"I fuckin' hate chess! This game is full of shit! I don't know why I agreed to ever play with your skinny vampire ass!" Cid fumed, taking a hit of his cigarette as some of the people around him began to cough. One of the older men glared at Cid angrily.

"Hey, I've got asthma! Put that thing out, you lowlife." He wheezed. Vincent allowed himself a sly smirk, loving to see the arguments that arose each day. Cid stood, staring down at the old man, before blowing a huge cloud of smoke into his face.

"Suck on that, ya' bastard! Nobody's gonna' tell me how to live the rest of my damn life!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air. The old man coughed hard, clutching his throat and reaching for the inhaler that lay in the side pocket of his wheel chair. Two male employees rushed over, quickly grabbing the inhaler and giving it to the man. He gasped, able to breath once again.

"You're insane!" he yelled towards the pilot, who grinned.

"You bet I am!" he threw over his shoulder, as he grabbed his cane and walked towards to exit doors. Tifa hurried after him, scooting her walker across the room.

"Cid! Cid, I thought you said you were going to try and control your anger!" she wailed at his retreating back. He turned slowly, cigarette in one hand and his other clutching his cane.

"Sorry, Tif. I really have been tryin'!" he said, walking over to her and putting an arm around her thin shoulders. She smiled, her eyes shining happily with understanding. Nobody saw Vincent slip out of the room, silently and swiftly like the Turk he had been many years ago, despite the thin cane.

"I know you have. You're doing good Captain." She smiled happily. Cid smirked, removing his arm and straightening the white knitted shawl she had draped around her shoulders. She was hardly ever seen without it, as Marlene had made it for her for her last birthday. It was oddly misshapen in some places, but the love that was put into it was what made Tifa love it.

"Tifa! Come back, don't you want to finish this puzzle?" Yuffie called from the table, puzzle pieces from the one Reeve had been doing stuffed into her pockets, unbeknownst to him as he continued. She gave Cid a quick hug before making her way back to Yuffie. Cid strolled happily back to his room, calm after his rampage. Tifa had a talent for getting people to step back and relax, Cid noted. He walked into his room, flopping down on the metal framed bed. Pictures of the Highwind hung on the wall, accompanied by pictures of him and all of his friends. Cid yawned loudly, ready for a nap in the afternoon sunlight drifting through his window. He pulled of his goggles, moving to set them on his bedside table only to find that something else was already lying there.

"GOD FUCKIN' DAMMIT! VINCENT!" The white king lay on its side, clearly in surrender. Cid clenched his fists, flinging the piece as hard as he could into the hallway. Vincent walked, calm as ever, down the hallway as he watched the Kings flight. He smirked as it hit the opposite wall and bounced to the ground. The storm of curses flooding out of Cid's room was music to his ears, warming him and reminding him of the years past. He wrapped his cloak closer around his black slacks and shirt, and allowed himself a low laugh.

He had always been fond of the foul mouthed pilot.

He loved how he never failed to make him laugh or smile.

He also loved how he never failed to get him worked up into an angry fit.

The normally stoic gunman walked away quietly with a smile he couldn't fight plastered across his pale lips. He heard things hitting the walls and floor just as employees breezed past him towards Cid's room. And another laugh escaped him.

**Thanks for reading (^^;) Thanks for all the reviews :D R&R c: **


	4. I Pity the Foo!

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Four – I PITY THE FOO'!**

Tseng sat beside Rufus, staring along with him at the sad excuse for a dinner that had been placed in front of each of them. Each and every week, the tenants looked forward to the 'delicacies' that were served at Friday night dinners. While all the other men and women happily ate their food, Rufus glared down at his with disgust. On the pale blue tray sat a lump of pasty gray potatoes drenched in soupy gravy, and a container full of dark shriveled peas. The crown jewel of the plate, a piece of hardened dark brown meat, sat in the center.

"Salisbury steak my ass…" Rufus muttered. Tseng sighed, his eyes fixed on the former president. He knew all too well that the meal was shoddy, but he could only imagine the leap it took for Rufus to sink to such a low level of dining. A pea hitting his forehead brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked across the table to see Reno and Rude flicking peas at each other like children. He brushed the runaway vegetable onto the floor and continued to watch them with amusement. He, though he didn't know it, was not the only one.

Barrett's eyes followed the path of each pea as they careened through the air between the two partners. His mind ignited into schemes much too immature for one of his age, and a smirk formed on his lips.

"Yo Reeve," he asked the man clad in a blue sweater, who was sitting calmly beside him, "Is Cait Sith still good at sneakin' around?" he asked, his smirk widening into an mischievous grin. Reeve curiously looked up from his dinner to meet the fighters gaze.

"Well I suppose, he doesn't age after all. Why do you ask?" he asked, holding Cait Sith on his lap and stroking his head. Barret merely grinned, snatching the toy off of Reeve's lap and whispering something into its ear. Cait Sith laughed eagerly, nodding at each word, before hopping out of the man's lap and scampering into the kitchen.

Cloud skeptically watched Cait sneak through the double doors into the kitchen, before taking Tifa's hand gently in his.

"I think we had better leave. Or at least find a place to stay that's out of range or Barret and the cat…" She looked at him, confusion written all over her features. "I saw them talking, Barret and Cait Sith. They're plotting something, and I don't want this to be another apple incident…" he explained, shuddering at the painful memory. Tifa immediately followed his lead, as he made a beeline for the table farthest away from Barret. No sooner had he sat down, than Cait Sith scurried out of the kitchen holding a wrapped bundle in his arms. Cloud saw him dart under the table and appear at Barett's feet. Their hands shuffled under the table, their heads close together as they whispered.

Cloud and Tifa watched, horror and curiosity plastered across their faces. After a few more moments of frantic whispering and stifled laughter, Barret stood slowly from his chair.

"I have something' to say!" he yelled, raising his gun arm, with immense effort, above his head. "I aint' accepting being old lying down! I won't be like the rest of ya'! I'm still young! I can still do whatever I want! And Im'ma prove it!" his voice boomed throughout the cavernous room, and he lowered his gun arm towards the nearest security guard. "Suck on this!" he shouted. The guard shrunk back against the wall, hands covering his face, and cried for mercy. A loud bang echoed throughout the room and thick silence followed. Every eye was turned towards the security guard who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Ha! I bet that showed you, didn't it! Now you know now to mess with Barret Wallace!" he punched the air, grinning. Women screamed in horror, immediately making their way towards the exits, the men yelling insults towards Barret, demanding how he could do that to an innocent man.

"You…You shot me with a potato you bastard!" the security guard yelled, cutting through the mass of voices and chaos. All heads turned to the man who now stood where he had fallen, holding his side angrily. Cid's laughter joined the man's voice.

"Well damn, Barret! That potato launcher I installed in your arm works like a fuckin' charm!" he howled from the back, as a freshly lit cigarette hung from his lips. Barret laughed triumphantly.

"Sure does, cap'n." he growled, aiming next towards the glorious full length windows. He promptly opened fire, shattering every window on the far wall. Tseng's eyes widened as he leaned over Rufus, protecting him from the shower of glass.

"Get him under control!" yelled the man in charge, pointing the employees towards the center of the mayhem. Two of the larger men charged forward, grabbing Barret's arms as a third attempted to stick the sedative into his neck. Barret smirked, swinging his metal arm into one of the security guards abdomen and bringing him to his knees.

"Ya'll can't bring me down that easy, foo's! I'm Barret Wallace! I led AVALANCHE! I'll kick all of your asse…s…." he yelled, his words beginning to slur as the smaller man snuck up behind him, sliding the needle into his dark skin. He began to sway, and the two men held their arms out to catch him, only to be brought down by his weight. Security guards and employees hurried forward to hoist the huge man off of their associates.

"Cait Sith, you naughty kitty! What have I told you about helping AVALANCHE?" Reeve scolded playfully, cuddling the toy into his chest lovingly. Cid stood in the corner, laughing in front of the empty hole in the wall which used to contain a luxurious gold and white window. Vincent sat, unmoved, at the table staring down at his half-finished plate which was now covered in shards of glass.

"I suppose… Although I do wish I had not been sitting next to the window." He sighed, brushing more of the glittering shards off of his shoulders as he stood. "You could have told me, you know. I can tell that you knew exactly what was going to happen." He said, glaring at the pilot. Cid responded with a childish grin.

"Eh, lets just say I was getting' ya back for those damn checkers earlier." He drawled, his eyes shining with mock innocence and excitement. Vincent let another low sigh escape his lips as he watched seven men struggle with the task of carrying Barret to his room. Cloud and Tifa weren't far behind, holding hands.

"Well Cloud, I guess nobody has changed very much, have they?" Tifa joked, the smile never leaving her face. Cloud gave a small smile in return.

"I suppose not. Now come on, I'll take you back to your room. Lets mosey." He said softly, leading her towards the door.

"That's still a dopey ass thing to say Strife!" Cid yelled from his spot by the window, before turning to see Vincent holding one of the solid potatoes in his hand, a devilish smirk on his face.

"Let's just say this is payback for the payback, hmm Chief?" he purred, before hurling the potato at full force into the captains face.

"AGGGH DAMMIT! MY GOD DAMN NOSE! FUCK!" he cursed, Cloud laughing one of his rare laughs, as he escorted Tifa out of the ruined room.

**Thanks for reading (^^;) I wonder what the apple incident could be? Use your imagination XD my computer was such a bitch while writing this, I lost half of it like ten times… props to Saria19 for the hilarious idea, as well! R&R pleaseee c:**


	5. My Moogle

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Five – My Moogle!**

The sun set on the warm Saturday evening, casting bright rays of orange and pink across the lawn of the retirement home. Couples whose love had withstood the test of time strolled with leisure across the grass, admiring the view and taking a moment to enjoy the smell of flowers and twilight air that seasoned the coming night. Behind them, the huge building was alight, and pandemonium could be seen through the window of the largest parlor. Bingo night was upon them once more.

"Hey! I said bingo first!" Came the cry from the back. The bingo caller stared at the situation with wide eyes from his place at the podium.

"Shut up, Spikey! The prize is mine! I put my marker down before you!" Barret yelled, throwing his arms above his head. "Anyway, I'm givin' it to Marlene. So shuddup!"

Cloud stood furiously from his place at the table across from Barret's.

"You're crazy! You saw me get it first! You don't even have all the numbers he called, I bet! Cheater!" he yelled, jabbing a finger in the larger man's direction.

"Come over here and say that, you little shit!" Barret cursed, waving his arms. The caller stood in stunned silence, the prize, a stuffed white moogle, in his arms.

"Why on Gaia don't the both of you just go out and buy yourself one? It's not as if they're expensive." Rufus said, batting Cloud's finger out of his face. "Oh wait, maybe it is out of Barret's budget…" he mused, tipping the colorful bingo markers off of his own card.

"Shut UP Rufus!" the two men yelled in unison, their faces reddening. The caller laid the doll on the podium, walking hurriedly over to resolve the dispute. He stood, trembling, between the two arguing men and began stammering requests to calm down.

"Well hell, maybe I want a prize too!" Cid yelled the lie from across the room, instigating the argument further. "We-well, you can all have a prize! O-okay? How about that?" The caller nearly whispered, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. Immediately, everyone quieted, nodding and calling out happily in agreement. Only Rude saw Yuffie sneaking out the door with the large bag of prizes. He whispered what he had seen to Reno, and in moments the three Turks and the former President had identical smirks.

"Oh my. Now this should be fun." Rufus cooed, lacing his fingers on the table in front of him as he watched the frazzled man walk back up the isle to the podium and search for the bag.

"But… I could have sworn… I just had…" His face turned pale as he turned back to the crowd of people awaiting their prizes. "Welll… I… Must have misplaced the prizes… Heh heh…" he laughed, his terror evident. "I am… Very sorry…"

"WHAT?" Cloud yelled angrily, as he and Barret both smacked their bingo cards and chips off of the table. The yelling climaxed, and the caller grasped the podium for support, apologies hurriedly tumbling from his mouth as he struggled to be heard over the uproar. Bingo chips littered the floor, and Reeve smiled absentmindedly, ignoring the entire situation as he looked blissfully at the beautiful rainbow the chips created on the floor.

"Yuffie." said Rude. The single word cut through the chaos as Barret took a step towards the podium.

"Go get her, yo~" Reno added mischievously. As if on cue, Barret stormed out of the door towards Yuffie's room. Cloud followed, a large portion of the bingo crowd trailing behind him in a yelling mob. Rufus lips curled into a catlike smile.

"Tell me how that escapade turns out, will you?" he said in a smooth cunning voice. Reno and Rude exchanged devilish looks and simultaneously strolled out the door, side by side.

"Oh, of course boss. Our pleasure." Reno assured as Rude led the way down the hall towards Yuffie's room. The door was crowded with people, and yelling could be heard as the two Turks made their way towards the newest scene of havoc.

"Ya' little monster! How dare ya' take all this shit!" Barret thundered, as the redhead peeked over Rude's shoulder into the room. The comforter was thrown to the side, and under the bed was a mass of stolen items. Yuffie stood in front of her collection with outspread arms, obviously hoping to protect the items.

"My goddam spear! And my cigarettes! Give me my shit back!" Cid fumed, making a grab for his possessions.

"Hey, is that ammo for Cerberus? You went into my drawers… And took my things…. Yuffie…" Vincent growled darkly, his eyes flickering with fury.

"And my pills! Is that my old material for my buster blade? You little brat!" Cloud lunged forward, attempting to reach past her for his things.

"You even took Cait Sith's crown…" Reeve whimpered sadly. Yuffie hurriedly began smacking away the hands that came close to her treasures.

"Get away! It's mine now, so ha! HEY!" She shrieked as Cid held the cigarettes in his hand triumphantly and reached for the spear next. She lunged at Cid, only to have Cloud scramble past her, grab his materia, and make a break back out of the room.

"If Sephiroth ever comes back, I'll need these!" he called as he rushed back to his room to restore the materia to its original place in his sword.

"THOSE ARE MY MATERIA!" she whined, still attempting to wrestle the spear out of Cid's grasp. Vincent reached under the bed on his hands and knees, holding his deathblow material and ammo. Yuffie pushed Cid backward into Vincent, sending him painfully to his stomach. A loud growl echoed from under the bed, adding to the deafening noise.

"YUFFIE!" Vincent yelled, straining to contain his demons and the urge to strangle the elderly ninja. Cid finally managed to wrench his spear out of her hands and angrily stomped out of the room, pulling Vincent off of the floor and dragging the gunner away with him.

"Wait a fuckin' minute! Where in the hell are the PRIZES?" Barret boomed furiously, as Reeve struggled helplessly to free himself from Yuffie and reclaim the tiny golden crown. "FUCK!" he screamed, smacking every item he could see onto the floor in a tantrum. "ALL I WANTED OUT OF ALL OF THIS WAS ONE A' THEM DOLLS!"

Back in the cafeteria, Rufus sat stroking the head of a fluffy white moogle doll. Reno and Rude smirked, the overflowing bag sitting beside them.

"Very cute, sir." Tseng said with a grin. Rufus mirrored the expression. Rufus replied with a sly smile.

"I love it. And knowing that AVALANCHE idiot will want it makes it even better."

**Thanks for reading (^^;) Not sure about how I did on writing Yuffie, I tried.. XD Did the bingo caller remind anybody else of Principal Goodvibes…? Totally unintentional… Hope this got some laughs, anyway. Two more chapters after this, then it's finitee XD**

**Review pretty pleaseeee :D 3**


	6. Wheels on the Bus

**Back In My Day**

**Final Fantasy VII**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six – Wheels on the Bus<strong>

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><p>The wheels of the bus screeched to a loud halt in the gravel driveway of Midgar Nursing Home. The day that many of the nursing homes inhabitants were looking forward to had finally come. After much work and bargaining on the employee's part, they had finally managed to arrange a trip to the Midgarian Museum for Science, History, and the Arts. The nursing home's inhabitants, who had been waiting eagerly at the door, now made their way onto the bus.<p>

"I've never seen a more tacky shade of yellow in my life…" Rufus muttered as he allowed Tseng to help him up the stairs of the bus and took a seat next to him. The other two Turks followed next, taking the seat opposite of them and whispering to each other, their eyes sharing a mischievous glint. Cid and Barett walked slowly towards the bus, Cid complaining about the transportation as they went.

"This piece of shit bus looks clunky and slow." He began, "We could get here a hell of a lot faster if we took an airship. The Highwind could make it to the damn museum in half – no. A quarter of the time! I'd bet my ass—" He was silenced by Barett's metal arm being slammed into his gut.

"Cid! Just shuddup and get on the bus! Nobody cares how fast the Highwind could get there. Your old ass 'prolly couldn't even see well enough to pilot it now!" Barett finished, climbing heavily onto the bus. Cid climbed quietly after him, cursing under his breath and holding his stomach. The employees stood up once everyone had taken their seats, and began a headcount.

"Do we have everyone?" called one of the youngest interns. Heads swiveled as people looked for any missing faces.

"No! Cloud's not here!" Tifa yelled, as to be heard over the sea of chattering voices. The intern nodded to her and walked off the bus to see Cloud standing by the door, peering into nearby bushes and shrubs. Walking over, she called out to him.

"Umm, excuse me. Mr. Strife? You're going to miss the bus. Come with me, okay?" she said sweetly, laughing. He turned slowly, regarding her with wary, narrowed eyes.

"I was just making sure the area was secure… He's crafty… He could be hiding anywhere." He said in a hushed voice, glancing at one of the shrubs he had yet to check behind. Her smiled faded to a confused expression.

"Umm… Who are you talking about?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Cloud's eye twitched and he took slow, careful steps towards the shrub. The intern then remembered what one of the older employees had told her.

"Ohh yeah! You're the one who thinks that General Sephiroth has returned, right?" she called out. Cloud whipped around to stare at her, fury in his eyes.

"Look what you've done! Now he's aware of our presence! Damn it!" he yelled angrily. Her eyes widened and she frowned. Cloud was about to continue his rant, when a sight made him gasp in horror. He saw the shimmering of white hair in the bush, and a long, thin shadow on the ground.

"SEPHIROTH!" Cloud yelled, brandishing his cane and making a run at the bush.

"Mr. Strife! Please! Don't hurt yourself!" the intern yelled, shocked by the actions of the elderly hero. He paid her no attention, his eyes focused on the shrub and his cane held high over his head.

"This time, you won't come back!" he screamed, bringing his cane down viciously onto the shrubbery. There was a yowl of pain and a pure white cat sprang from the bush, hissing furiously and then turning quickly and running in the opposite direction, one leg dragging slightly behind the other. What was thought to be Masamune fell to the ground, revealing itself to be a broken stick that had fallen from the tree above the bush. Cloud and the young intern stared in silence at the scene before them, neither making a move to break the quiet shock. Cloud finally turned towards the bus.

"Fine. I guess the area is secure. Let us depart." He growled, stepping onto the bus and taking his seat in the back, as it was the best seat to make sure that they weren't being followed. The young intern returned to the bus with a pale look on her face. One of the eldest employees, a man in his thirties, looked at her with pity.

"Jesus. If you can't handle THAT, I'm going to tell you something." He said grimly. She listened raptly, waiting for his next piece of wise advice. The bus began to move, and he took a deep breath.

"Resign. Now."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading (^^;) okay okay, so I've decided to break up what was going to be one chapter into two. So actually, there will be two more chapters AFTER this one. Originally, there wasn't going to be this scene with Cloud. But today, inspiration struck when a cat jumped out of a bush when i was taking out the trash. Review please, to sooth the shock of the cat scare in my heart XD 3<strong>


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